1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recording and reproducing apparatuses and, more particularly, to a recording and reproducing apparatus capable of limiting copy of digital signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, in the recording and reproducing apparatus, for example, VTRS, no copy limitation was positively made. To take copies was, therefore, free and, from the point of view of copyright protection, gave rise to a problem. In the case of the analog signal recording type VTR, because the image quality in S/N, resolution, etc. deteriorates with the increase of the number of times the copying has been recycled, the freedom of copying was allowed to some extent. In the case of the digital signal recording type VTR, no deterioration of the image quality takes place by copying (dubbing). Hence, the number of copyright issues is increasing. Yet, any effective method for copy limitation has so far not been disclosed.
In the conventional recording and reproducing apparatus, it is conceivable in the case of, for example, the digital signal recording type VTR that the problem of copyright is averted by performing all connection between the instruments for use in copying through an input/output system for analog signals. If so, the advantage of having no influence of dubbing in the digital signal recording is lost.
Also, it is primarily desirable that as far as what the user has created by himself is concerned, the right of deciding whether or not it is possible to copy the source tape (original tape) is given to the user himself.
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording and reproducing apparatus which has overcome such problems as described above and can carry out copying with an effective limitation that meets the demands in reality.
To achieve such an object, according to the invention, in an embodiment thereof, a recording and reproducing apparatus comprises reproducing means for reproducing number-of-times-of-copy information and possible-number-of-times-of-copy information recorded on a recording medium, renewing means for renewing the number-of-times-of-copy information reproduced by the reproducing means, determining means for comparing the possible-number-of-times-of-copy information and the number-of-times-of-copy information with each other to determine whether or not it is possible to perform copying, and recording means for recording the number-of-times-of-copy information which has been renewed by the renewing means on the recording medium.
With the use of the recording and reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, as the possible-number-of-times-of-copy information has been recorded, the number of times which the copying can be performed can be limited, or the copying can be prohibited.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following written specification and drawings.